Hell Hath No Fury
by Elemental Balance
Summary: How far would you go for those you love? Would you be willing to sacrifice your freedom, your name...even your humanity? Would you do this, just for the slim chance...that things could be better if you did? That's what the seventh Princess wants to know.


_Disclaimer: I'm just a simple chef, working his way through the kitchens of the Grand Canyon, and own nothing of real value. Let alone a cool series like Code Geass._

_**Hell Hath No Fury...**_

_**Chapter One: The Witching Hour Nears**_

_"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." - The Mourning Bride_

_April 27th, 2017..._

Reuben Ashford, the patriarch of his once noble family, frowned as he stared at the transcripts sitting on his desk. The number of unexcused absences alone would make any educator cringe, even if they were balanced off by the incredible marks listed under the subjects taken.

"Even with your marks, its getting harder and harder to keep the Board of Directors from pulling the 'scholarships' you and your two sisters have, milady," he said, looking up into the amethyst eyes of his...favorite...student.

The girl in question smirked, arrogantly (or so it seemed) tossing her hair over her shoulders. "Even if they pulled my scholarship, I have more than enough credits to graduate," she replied, "Even more than Milly, in fact. And by point of law, they cannot punish Nunnaly and Kaguya for my faults. If they tried, the lawsuits I could file would certainly make them regret it."

Reuben sighed, standing up and moving towards the window of his office. "True," he said, "But what if they did fight you on it? They would undoubtedly start digging for dirt to use on you...and we both know what that could mean."

The girl frowned. "I have plenty of favors I can call in, should that ever happen," she replied, "Even if they did learn the truth, Nunnaly, Kaguya, and I could escape. Kirihara-san would welcome us with open arms."

The aged gentleman sighed again. "Does it really have to be this way...Lelouch?" he asked, "Can you not find some way of taking back what is rightfully yours? Can you not be the seventh princess again?"

Lelouch Lamperouge, formerly Princess Lelouch vii Britannia, scowled. "Sir Reuben," she growled, "I will never go back to that den of vipers! I will not let Nunnaly be used again, nor will I ever agree with him!" There was no need to say who she was talking about.

The Ashford patriarch nodded in apology, before moving towards his computer. With a few deft clicks of his mouse, he altered Lelouch's attendance record, dropping her number of absences below the level required for disciplinary action. "I don't think I'll get away with this again, milady," he said, "Do try and limit these excursions of yours? The work required to cover for you is very tiresome."

The raven haired girl smiled, standing up and walking around the desk to place a gentle kiss on the brow of her 'patron'. "You just won't stop calling me 'milady', will you my friend?" she asked. "I'm not even royalty anymore."

"You will always be a princess in the eyes of the Ashford family, Lelouch," he replied.

A jaunty tune sounded then, causing the young woman to pull a blue cell phone from her purse. "This is Lelouch," she answered. "...a high stakes match? The take?...I see...dear me, when will you ever learn old friend?...Yes, I know the building, I can be there in an hour...Tell him you'll add half again as much to the wager, I'll cover it myself...good, good, see you then."

Reuben frowned. "My brother again?" he asked.

"High stakes match at the Chesterfield Building on Nishikaze Street," she replied, "I have two free periods right now...Rivalz can drive me. I'll bail him out of this again." She let out an annoyed grunt. "Another noble to trounce...its almost depressing."

"Perhaps it will be a challenge this time?" he asked.

She shook her head. "We both know who the only person was to ever truly challenge me, Sir Reuben," she replied, "We should be back for third period. Good day." She walked out.

oOoOoOo

"So what's the take this time, Lelouch?" Rivalz asked as he readied his motorcycle and the side car.

"For our cut? About 18 thousand quid," she replied, locking her helmets straps. "You'll get your usual 20%."

"Cool, that pays off my tuition for the rest of the year!" he said, looking over the taller girl's shoulder. "Uh oh..."

"LELOUCH-NEECHAN!!!!!!"

"Oh not now," Lelouch moaned, turning to see her adopted sister running towards her.

"Lelouch-neechan!" Sumeragi Kaguya pouted, causing several hearts to melt at the sheer 'cuteness' of her appearance. "You said I could go with you the next time!"

"But you have class right now and I don't," the girl replied, finding it very amusing when the younger girl placed her hands on her hips like a lecturing mother.

"You promised! I can miss this class anyway...its just art anyway."

"The side car can seat two, Lelouch," Rivalz offered.

*Traitor,* the former princess thought. "If only to avoid the argument," she sighed, pulling a smaller helmet out for Kaguya. "Don't say anything when we get there, alright? These men may not be yakuza, but they're not friendly either."

"Yatta!" Kaguya cheered, enveloping Lelouch in a crushing hug, before grabbing the helmet and securing it around her head.

Lelouch watched the scene with bemusement, remembering the times when Nunnaly was like Kaguya in her liveliness. She frowned then, as such thoughts brought her towards the reasons she and her sister now lived in hiding.

*Father, and his wretched plan for the world,* she thought, as Rivalz started up the bike and began the trek towards the game. *That accursed power...Geass...and mother...*

She sighed, shoving those thoughts from her mind. She had a chess match to win, and 18,000 pounds to collect. Money that would be needed in the near future.

*Maybe Kallen-chan can send a message to Naoto and Ougi for me,* she thought, *...If she shows up, that is.*

She looked up towards the sky as the trio zipped along the roads of the Tokyo Settlement. "I think its going to be a dull day," she muttered.

If she only knew...

oOoOoOo

Clovis la Britannia, third prince and fifth heir to the Imperial throne, sighed as he watched the nobles gossip with each other. He'd had such high hopes for this party, especially with his guest of honor present.

"Such a dull day, don't you agree brother?" he asked, turning to the tall blond standing next to him.

"I must agree, Clovis," the man replied, sipping at the fine French wine inside the goblet he was holding. "I do wish we could have gotten Cornelia and Euphemia here. Then we could have all had a proper reunion."

Clovis nodded. "And perhaps…a wake, as well," he said, looking over at one of his paintings, his eyes watering slightly at the image captured on the canvas.

Schneizel el Britannia, Second Prince of the Realm, followed his younger brother's gaze, his own cold blue eyes softening slightly at the image of the three women in the painting.

The Vi Britannia family - Lady Marianne, and her daughters, the Seven and Eleventh princesses, Lelouch and Nunnaly.

"I wonder…what would they be like now?" Clovis asked, "Nunnaly was always such a joy - lively, honest, she could light up the darkest room with her smile. And Lelouch…"

"The only person who has ever forced me into a stalemate," Schneizel spoke up, "Brillant, if a bit delicate. She was never very physically strong, but her mind was the sharpest blade in the entire empire. If she was alive now, I'm sure she'd have long since replaced Cornelia as the most feared woman in the empire."

"How beautiful would the two of them be now?" Clovis asked, "Nunnaly took more after our father, hair and eye wise. But Lelouch…she had her mother's face, our father's presence, and those eyes - that rare shade of amethyst."

Schneizel nodded. "She would be a true beauty," he replied, "May they both rest in pea…"

"My Lords!" A portly gentleman spoke, moving up to them. "I must speak with you both!"

"Bartley, how rude!" Clovis muttered, "What is so important that you would ruin a private moment between brothers?"

"Calm down, Clovis," Schneizel replied, "I'm sure the general has a good reason for this interruption. He has served the empire with distinction for almost twenty years after all."

Bartley nodded, looking to Clovis. "My lord, the special project, code named 'Genisis'…its been stolen!"

Clovis paled. "WHAT!?!"

Schneizel stepped back as his younger brother began berating the simpering man. *Code 'Genisis'?…just what are you up to, Clovis?*

oOoOoOo

_There was so much...blood._

_The servant girls were wailing in fear and disbelief. The honor guards were gaping in shock, on teal haired man in particular collapsing to his knees at the site._

_Cornelia stood off to the side, her hands covering her mouth in horror..._

_"...mama...it hurts...dark...mama..." came a soft, sobbing voice, currently covered by the blood-stained, orange clad form of Marianne vii Britannia._

_"...mother...Nunnaly..." a new voice sounded, causing Cornelia and the teal haired guard to turn, looking up the stairs in horror as a small, raven tressed girl appeared._

_The girl stood in silence for a few moments, looking down at the scene as if it were a dream...before letting loose a primal cry of utter agony..._

"Lelouch, we're here!" Rivalz called out, stirring the girl from her brief slumber.

*That memory again,* she thought, acknowledging Rivalz with a nod while she and Kaguya climbed out of the side car. *Its always that memory...*

Kaguya glanced at her watch, frowning. "We won't have much time to get back you back to class today, onee-chan," she said, "We'd need to leave here in twenty minutes to get back in time for your third period."

"Not even she can win a match that fast!" Rivalz asked. "Lelouch is good, but no one is that good."

"Chess matches have been won in far less time, Rivalz," the raven haired girl answered, as she lead the other two into the building. "I once won a 3 on 1 match back in the home country in less than two minutes. All it took was a Scholar's Mate."

"What's that?" Rivalz asked, causing the two girls to gape at him. "What? I don't play the game, remember?"

"Useless," Kaguya smirked, imitating her 'sister's' superior tone.

"A little more inflection, Kaguya-chan," Lelouch replied, "It has to be really cutting or the jab is lost."

Rivalz just glared at the taller girl. "Teaching her that stuff is just wrong, Lelouch."

"And yet its so much fun," the former princess replied.

oOoOoOo

Kallen Stadfeld - or Kozuki Kallen as she much preferred - glared at the radio she was holding as the truck her partner was driving swerved along the roads.

"Damn that Tamaki! We told him to set the timers for one hour!" she snarled.

Her partner grunted. "Let Naoto and Ougi deal with him, Kallen!" he said, "We need to get out of here!"

Kallen nodded, checking over her map. "There's a tunnel entrance nearby. Once we enter regular traffic, take a right onto Nishikaze, till we pass the Chesterfield! The entrance will be five miles after that!"

The driver nodded. "Those maps that girl provided you with sure do come in handy!"

Kallen smirked. "Well, she may be a Brit, but she hates that country just as much as we do," she replied. "Besides, she's dating my brother. If she wants to keep him, she needs to keep him living!"

The driver just laughed.

oOoOoOo

"Oh, a noble!" Rivalz crooned, as the trio entered the room where the match was being played. "Maybe this will be a good one after all!"

"Doubtful," Kaguya said, skipping over to John Ashford and giving him a quick hug. "Konnichiwa, Uncle John."

"Hello, Kaguya-chan," the gray haired man said, looking up at Lelouch. "Thank you again milady. I really got in over my head."

"Its no problem, John," she replied, taking his seat while the noble and his entourage chuckled. "I'm always happy to help."

"This is your substitute?" the man, a typical blond-haired count scoffed. "A school girl, her boyfriend, and their pet Eleven?"

Kaguya growled. "Be careful who you insult, noble," she said, "I am Sumeragi Kaguya, primary heiress to the Five Great Houses of Kyoto. I'm sure my uncle, Kirihara Taizo, would not take kindly to you insulting me."

"And I don't appreciate people insulting my adopted sister, good count," Lelouch added, noting the frown on the man's features as he listened to Kaguya's speech. "I think that such an insult deserves an increase in the wager - to put us back in the mood, as it were."

The count scowled, then leered as he gazed at Lelouch's long legs. "I suppose I could be convinced to increase the stakes," he said. "How much?"

Lelouch smirked. "Triple."

The noble's entourage gasped. "That's almost 60,000 pounds!" the chief bodyguard growled. "You better have the cash to back that, girl!"

"Oh, but she doesn't need to match the cash," the noble said, "I'm sure an...alternative forfeit...can be agreed on?"

Lelouch frowned. "Let me guess...my company for the night? With full consent to what ever you wish to do?"

"I was thinking three days, actually," he replied, "If I'm to triple my wager, I should get equal value."

Rivalz stepped in. "Now hold on..." he said.

"Neechan, this really isn't..." Kaguya spoke up.

"It's fine."

The entire group gaped at her, as she moved to pick up one of the pieces on the board. "My company for three days, against 60,000 pounds even," she said. "I believe its my move?"

"Lelouch!" Rivalz cried out, as she moved her King to F5.

"The King?" the count gasped, while his entourage chuckled.

"If the King won't lead the charge, then how can the troops be expected to follow?" she asked. "...Your move, my lord." She sneered.

oOoOoOo

_I can feel you..._

_Time is moving forward..._

_Will you be the one..._

_...my greatest wish...your secret desire..._

_...the contract awaits..._

oOoOoOo

Kozuki Naoto groaned as Milly relayed the information to him.

"Again? When is she going to stop these dangerous games of her's?" he asked, staring at the video image of the blonde haired girl.

Milly chuckled. "We both know she never will, Naoto-kun," she said, "She's too much of a free spirit...a mean one, but free nonetheless."

Naoto sighed, running a hand through his teal locks, before turning to the signal tracer by his side. "Did your gramps tell you where she'd be?"

Milly shook her head. "No, just that Uncle John got into a real pickle, and she had to go bail him out," she replied, "I wouldn't worry though. If the noble she's going to beat tries anything, she'll ruin him. The girl's got more dirt on people than she knows what to do with."

Naoto laughed. "Her 'dirt' has saved you a few times, hasn't it?" he asked, causing the girl to blush prettily.

"Yeah, but I doubt she will this time...this 'Earl Asplund' seems to be squeaky clean," she said, "The only thing we know is he's some type of scientist for the military. I know he expressed an interest in my contract because of the Ashford's work on the Ganymede."

Naoto nodded. "We'll see about getting a tail on him and his assistant," he said, "Could prove useful to the resistance."

Milly nodded. "I guess..." she said, pausing as the sound of sirens came over the line. "What the...?"

Naoto grimaced, as a special alert appeared on his television screen. "Damn it!" he swore, as a news helicopter provided footage of a truck racing down one of the settlement's highways. "How'd they catch on so fast?" He turned to Milly. "Get a hold of Lelouch! Tell her to keep out of this!"

Milly nodded, before cutting off the transmission.

*Damn it, Lelouch,* he thought, looking over at a picture of himself, his best friend Ougi, his little sister Kallen, and the raven haired girl next to his own image. *How the hell do you get into these things? And at the worst possible times!?!*

He could almost hear the soft tones of his girlfriend. The great god Murphy has a sense of humor, and I am often the target of it. Why get mad? Even Murphy will fear a woman's wrath...and mine is uniquely vicious.

Besides...would you be happy with me if life was so boring?

oOoOoOo

"And that would be checkmate," Lelouch said, placing her knight into position, blocking the count's king from advancing. The man's entourage was silent, and the man himself was gaping in shock.

"Impossible...she was at such a disadvantage..." one of the women in the entourage whispered.

"Less than nine minutes..." John Ashford muttered, looking at his pocket watch. "She's improved again."

Rivalz and Kaguya could only smile as Lelouch stood up from her seat. The raven haired girl looked down at her opponent with disdain, her amethyst eyes cutting into the now humbled count.

"Mr. Ashford will provide you with the account numbers for the wire transfer," she said, "If it isn't completed by close of business tomorrow, a copy of your...proposal..." She sneered at that. "...to me will be sent to a local news station. I'm sure that they'd love to know that Count Olaf DeGeneers likes to proposition school girls."

Many of the people in the room backed off at that, while the count gaped at her. "N-no!" he whispered, knowing that such a scandal would ruin him completely.

"Close of business tomorrow...60,000 pounds," she said, turning to John. "Glad I could be of help, Uncle John." She gave him a light peck on the cheek, actually giggling a little when he blushed slightly. "Kaguya, Rivalz, we should be heading back. I believe that we can all make 3rd period with some time to spare." She frowned as her friends followed her out. "Far too easy...I'm bored playing nobles."

"You could always play Taizo-ojisan?" Kaguya said, "Sure, it'd have to be shogi instead of chess, but..."

"There's always the tournament circuit too," Rivalz added. "Think of the sympathy points you'd get too! The orphaned sisters, the eldest playing for a better life for her younger siblings, one an adopted Japanese girl, the other..."

"I won't use Nunnaly as a publicity tool, and I'll thank you never to suggest that again, Rivalz Cardemonde," Lelouch snapped, glaring at the shorter boy. Rivalz actually had the decency to gulp in fear.

"Rivalz no baka," Kaguya muttered, as the trio neared the bike.

Lelouch sighed before looking up at one of the giant monitors attached to a nearby building. She frowned, as a familiar face appeared.

What foolishness are you playing at now, Brother Clovis? she wondered, as the blonde 3rd Prince appeared on the screen.

oOoOoOo

_Events are in motion..._

_Time...is marching on..._

_...come to me, my black princess..._

_...our contract...awaits..._

_End Chapter One  
_


End file.
